Rail-joint.



No. 758,055. PATENTED APR. 26, 1904. E. F. EVANS & T. J. STRANGE.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED 11110.4. 190s.

1T0 MODEL.

UNrThp STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA F. EVANS AND TRAVIS J. STRANGE, OF ARGYLE, GEORGIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,055, dated April 26, 1904. Application filed December 4:, 1903. Serial No. 183,822. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELIsHA F. EVANS and TRAVIs J. STRANGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Argyle, in the county of Clinch, State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railroad-rails, and more particularly to joints therefor, and has for its object to provide a joint which will efficiently secure the sections of rail together and in which the use of bolts and similar fastening means will be eliminated.

A further object is to provide a construction which will compensate for expansion and contraction of the rails under varying climatic conditions.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the present joint. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing one of the connecting-plates removed. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a detail" perspective view, partially in section.

Referring now to the drawings, there are shown two sections of the rails'5 and 6, each of which has a plurality of rectangular openings 7 through the web thereof, and extending laterally of the rail at the opposite sides of each of these openings are a pair of clovetailed slots 8 and 9, which are disposed with their major dimensions at opposite sides of the web. In connection with the rails thus provided there are employed a pair of locking-plates 10 and 11, from one face of which there project a plurality of dovetailed pins 12, whichin their relative positions correspond to the relative positions of the openings 7 in the sections 5 and 6. These plates 10 and 11 are disposed at opposite sides of the webs of the rails with their pins 12 engaged with the slots 8 and 9. It will be apparent from the construction that these plates are placed in position successively, the pins of one plate being engaged with the openings 7 to register them with the dovetailed slots and the plate then slid bodily and laterally of the rail to cause the pins to slide into the slots and the remaining plate being thereafter engaged in a similar manner. To prevent movement of the plates 10 and 11 and accidental displacement thereof, each of these plates is provided with a spring-finger 13, which when the plates are in position engage ratchet-teeth 14 upon the rails.

It will thus be seen that in the present in vention there is provided a rail-joint which consists of but few parts, all of which are simple in operation and construction and of which the cost of production would be extremely low. I

In practice modifications of the specific construction may be made and any suitable material used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is- 1. A rail-joint comprising rail-sections having openings therethrough, slots extending from opposite sides of the openings, plates lying at either side of the rails, pins carried by the plates and lying in the slots, means for preventing disengagement of the pins from the slots and means for preventing movement of the plates to disengage the pins from the s ots.

2. A rail-joint comprising rail-sections having openings therethrough, dovetailed slots extending from opposite sides of the openings, plates disposed at either side of the rails, dovetailed pins carried by the plates and lying in the slots, said plates being adapted for movement to disengage the pins from the slots, means for holding the plates at times against such movement.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination with railsections, having openings through the webs thereof and dovetailed slots extending laterally at opposite sides of the openings, of

plates disposed at either side of the rails, pins carried by the plates and lying in engagement with the slots, said plates being movable upon the rails to bring the pins into the openings to permit of removal of the plates from the rails, and means for holding the plates at times against such movement.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures in presence of tWo Witnesses.

' ELISHA F. EVANS.

TRAVIS J. STRANGE. Witnesses:

G. H. CORNELIUS, S. O. TOWNSEND. 

